Because of You
by Akane Konae
Summary: To escape her past,Hikaru has fled to the Shinsengumi.Even surrounded by many friends she feels alone and keeps a barrier around her heart.However,to every rule,there is an exception,and that something just happens to be a certain violet haired man.HOLD
1. Prologue

Hey, everybody! I'm baaaack! LOL.

Well, as you can see, I decided to redo this story. Why? For one, I hated the way Hikaru turned out (I hadn't planned it that way…). For another, I didn't do my homework on Japanese culture during this time and made a lot of mistakes (as I pointed out before in the old chapters). Yeah. Basically, this story was a total mess.

**Some changes made**: Shinpachi isn't such a pervert (don't know why I did that in the first place...); Hikaru isn't an extreme feminist/sexist, whatever you wanna call it (that was totally out of my control...she just developed that way...). She doesn't particularly _hate_ men; she just has a rough past with them and resents them (not the whole "being raped" or slave thing you usually expect from stories like these. The prologue sort of explains it…sort of…). Basically, she's just defensive and uptight when it comes to men. She's also not from Okinawa.

Anyways, on to the story! . The prologue will be in the third person POV, but the rest of the story will be in first. This story is angsty, but being me, there will be humor added to the mix as well with the romance. I'll also try and keep as little Japanese in this as I can. But I'm gonna use the honorifics. And also the names will be in "Family Name, Personal Name" order.

BTW, thanks everyone who had reviewed the last old chapter of _Because of You!_

Disclaimer (and the only one I will do): I do not own Peacemaker Kurogane. It belongs to Nanae Kurono (Chrono).

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Prologue

The sound of crunching leaves could be heard as a lone girl ran as hard as she could, weaving in and out of the dense sea of trees. Her golden locks whipped at her bare shoulders and face as she turned abruptly at random corners, trying to shake off her pursuers. Her lungs muscles screamed for oxygen, but she kept at it, instead forcing herself to run even faster. She knew she was almost at her body's limit, but her legs seemed to have a mind of their own.

Coming to a clearing, she stopped to catch her breath. For the first time she noticed her breathing was very painful and shallow. Her lungs burned more so than when she had actually been running. Several stumps from cut trees seemed to call out to her, tempting her to rest and relax. But she knew she couldn't stay long. She was merely a child still, and her short legs could only carry her so far at a time. An adult, however, could travel much further and faster because of their long legs. She knew her chasers would catch up to her at any moment.

So she ran again.

It seemed like hours that she was playing this game of cat and mouse with those samurai, or more appropriately ronin. They weren't worthy or the name "samurai" after what they had done. They took everything dear to her. She wasn't sure if her family was still alive or not. Her brother had told her to run and not to look back. Despite her pleas to stay and help them fight, her family had ignored her; instead, they protected her and bought her some time to escape. That's when she realized even if she did stay, she would have been no use to them. Her skill with a sword wasn't at a point where she could hold her own against those ronin.

After an hour or so of stopping and starting, she was definitely beyond exhaustion. It was a wonder she hadn't passed out yet. She knew she had to hide if she wanted to stay alive, but where? Most of the trees and foliage weren't thick enough to hide her body, despite being significantly thin for her age. Her mind and pulse raced as she multitasked in running and finding some place to hide.

Her eyes widened and her spirited soared when she found a particularly old and large tree in a clearing just as large. Judging by her surroundings, she guessed she had reached the heart of the forest.

Familiar shouts and the pounding of feet alerted her to attention. She quickly ducked behind the tree and crouched low, tucking her arms behind her head.

She heard voices nearing towards her. They would find her sooner or later. But she wouldn't give in. Not willingly. Still, she wondered if she did manage to escape their grasp where she would go. There was almost no doubt in her mind that if those ronin were after her that her family had already been finished. Having no family or any other close relatives to turn to, she would be homeless and reduced to a beggar, a peasant. She hated the thought of sinking so low, but if it would keep her alive, at least to get revenge, then she would do it.

Anyways, simply giving in because of her pride would be a disgrace to her family and their sacrifices would have been in vain. She didn't want to throw away their selfless acts for her own selfish needs. That's what she believed, anyway.

Taunting calls of her name reached her ears. Those voices attempted to coax her into the open with what she knew to be empty promises of food, shelter, and safety. Oh, how she wanted to just yell and scream and punch all of them. She took one silent breath to calm herself, though it did almost nothing to help her racing heart; her blood pounded so painfully in her ears and chest, she was certain that the men after her could hear it.

The voices neared. Her heart felt like it was about ready to explode. She resisted the urge to scream and whimper, though it was tempting.

She shut her eyes tightly. Like moving pictures, her life flashed before her eyes. From the time she had first learned to speak, the time she had practiced with a sword for a first time, then to the time that she had believed she had finally bested her elder brother in a sparring match. The thoughts made her want to cry. But again she resisted the urge.

_Big brother…help me._

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A/N: Well? How was it? Bad, good, indifferent? Tell me! Please review! And I know this is _reeeallly_ short, but it's just a prologue.

BTW, when I catch up, I will be updating later and later. One because this is a second priority story. Two because I have marching band practices/games/competitions, and high school to deal with. Joy. Though I have a sort of urge to write this story. I don't know. I'll see what happens.

If I do make a mistake on something, please continue to correct me, okay? I'd greatly appreciate it! .

-Serena


	2. Arrival

_Because of You_

Chapter 1: Arrival

I looked back down at the crinkled map and smiled. This was it—Shinsengumi HQ. I sighed in relief knowing that I'd finally be able to eat a decent meal and get a good night's rest; I mean, I love the outdoors and all, but living off of plants and berries for an entire week wasn't exactly what I'd call home sweet home. Living with a bunch of dirty men certainly appealed to me much more than spending another night out alone on cold earth.

I was able to get passed the gate without too much trouble from the guards. The only thing that bugged me was that they insisted that they search me despite the fact that the only thing I was carrying was the employment flyer, a map, and a picture of my brother.

As I had to pass into Kyoto to arrive in Mibu Village, it wasn't inconspicuous how the townspeople thought of the Shinsengumi. For "Protectors of Kyoto," I hadn't expected for there to be so much hostility towards these swordsmen. After witnessing the people's behavior, I expected the Shinsengumi to be bare and plain. I would have thought being so feared would have kept the wages for them low to the minimum.

However, I was proved wrong.

"Wow," I whispered. At first sight, the Shinsengumi appeared like an ordinary training dojo, with its simple borders and low security gates; however, within its gates was an entire village. There were rows upon rows of Japanese-style rooms and dojos, with their translucent shoji doors and wooden decks. The road I had come upon, I guessed, must be the main path, because it was the largest of the Shinsengumi's many dirt roads.

I walked forth, sight-seeing as I went. The place was enormous, much beyond my expectations. There weren't many people out, which I was slightly grateful for, as I knew I must have looked like a fool staring at everything.

My fingers began to twitch with excitement, despite my earlier mood.

I stopped abruptly when the sounds of screams and shouts reached my ear. Searching for the source of the noise, my eyes landed on a dojo to my right. Its open door was crowded with people trying to see inside.

The crowd began to jeer and the yells became more prominent. Curiosity got the better of me; so I walked over and, weaving my way past the crowd, peeked inside.

I could hear screams and loud thumps coming from a dojo to my right. Curiosity got the better of me as I walked over. Many people crowded around, watching the sparring match that was playing out inside. The dojo was void of any furnishings and people, save for the two combatants trying to get at each other's throats. It had a simple laced wallpaper and wooden flooring.

_CRASH!_

A boy with unruly, blood red hair went flying through the room and landed with a thud on a bare wall. He was considerably short and looked no older than thirteen. He was covered from head to toe with armor that seemed too big for him.

"Aw, has our little puppy-boy had enough already?" another red- haired boy shouted from across the room. This boy's hair was shorter; he seemed several years older than the other boy, although he wasn't much taller.

The resulting laughs reverberated through the room and off the wooden floors.

"I am not a puppy!" the shorter boy shouted back, charging forward with his bokken positioned in his hands. (1) He lunged at the older boy, swinging his weapon blindly left and right; his opponent easily blocked the attacks with his own wooden sword.

"That kid won't win swinging his sword like that," I muttered to myself.

"Tetsu!"

Someone screamed behind me. A man with ruffled brown hair came running up to the dojo, frantically waving his arms. The two combatants halted and turned to the direction of the voice.

"Tatsu?" the short boy murmured. Seconds later he was on the floor once again with the worried man on top of him.

"Tetsu, you idiot!" The man had Tetsu in a tight hug. "Do you know how worried I've been? You are supposed to be working as Hijikata-sama's page, not sparring! How many times have I told you?"

Tatsu turned to glare at the other boy, who shivered slightly.

"It was just a little fun game, Tatsunosuke," the boy laughed nervously.

I couldn't help the small giggle escaping my lips.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder and jumped five feet in the air. Instantly my pulse raced and my breathing went ragged. Instinct took over as my nerves thrummed and I immediately swung my arm towards my attacker. Halfway my attack was stopped and I was met with deep, amethyst eyes. Instead of anger, a warm smile crossed his face.

"Hello, miss. What are you doing here at the Shinsengumi?"

Despite the fact that he looked so young and could have passed for a woman with his long hair and slender face, I certainly hadn't expected him to catch my attack. On top of that, he asked the question so politely, it surprised me. I had almost attacked him, and yet he acted as if nothing had happened, or as if almost being attacked by an innocent bystander was a common thing that happened everyday…then again, it probably was a common thing here in Kyoto.

"Uh, sorry," I stuttered. I lowered my arm as I felt a blush creep to my cheeks. He merely smiled down at me. "I saw a flier advertising for help in the kitchens." I held up the flyer and the crinkled map.

"Oh, I see. Would you like me to escort you to the kitchens, then?" he asked.

"No it's quite alright. I don't want to be a bother." I tried to hide my face as I blushed even more.

"No, it's okay. I'm off duty for now, so I have some free time," he reassured me.

Off duty? That meant he was also one of the Shinsengumi members. Though, judging by the way he dressed (a simple white kimono), it was hard to tell.

"Ok, thanks," I thanked him as he led me to the kitchens. "By the way, my name is Shinomura Hikaru…sorry I almost chapped off your head earlier," I drifted off and turned my head.

He just laughed and shrugged it off. "That's ok. You have very good reflexes for someone your age. My name is Okita Souji."

What surprised me most about him was that he didn't mention anything about me being a girl. Usually when most people would see me fight they would only compare me to other girls and women, but here he was, comparing me to men _and _women, as an equal. I wasn't sure whether to be suspicious or flattered.

"So, who did you come with?" he asked suddenly. I gave him a strange look, making him laugh. He tried again, "You didn't come here on your own, did you?"

"It doesn't matter if I came here alone or not. All I want to know is if I can get a job here," I snapped. So there _was_ an ulterior motive to his kindness!

"You know, it is dangerous to be walking around by yourself with the Choushu clan stronger than ever."

I turned to look at him. He wasn't even fazed by me. All I could see in his eyes was a true concern. I turned away.

"Sorry, but I can take care of myself. I'm not some weak little girl who doesn't know how to survive on her own," I said, this time a bit more politely.

"I'm sure you can take care of yourself, but it is still dangerous to be out alone," he argued, still with his cheery voice. I sighed. "Here we are,"

We finally arrived at the kitchens. It was a bit smaller than I thought it would be, only about the size of the dojo, give or take a few square meters.

"Ayumu-san!" Okita called as we entered through the doorway. My jaw dropped as I took in my surroundings. The kitchen was, in fact, not small. On the contrary, it was huge!

_This gives a whole new meaning to 'it's not as big as it looks', _I awed. It seemed this place was full of surprises.

A short, black-haired woman came running down the stairs from our right with a pot full of water in her hand.

"Oh! Hello, Okita-san. I wasn't expecting to see you today," she said cheerfully.

"Hikaru-chan here came looking for a job here in the kitchens. Do you have an opening for her?" Okita asked.

She looked at me as if just noticing I was there. "Oh, so you are the one who answered the flier? I'm glad you came. We have needed some extra help with all the extra mouths to feed." She grabbed my hand and led me to the back of the room. I glanced back to find Okita walking back outside, his long, violet hair swaying behind him.

"So, young lady, where did you come from?" she asked.

I couldn't exactly give her a direct answer, since I had been traveling most of my life like a rurouni. I racked my brains for a place where it would be difficult for people to ask questions.

"Uh…I sailed in from Okinawa," I told her. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Okinawa?! My, you sure have come a long way here. And you can speak our language so fluently! How in the world did you get our flier, then?" she asked.

_I forgot! There's a different dialect in Okinawa._ I mentally slapped myself. "My friend sent me the flier," I lied once again. I had really gotten the flier from some random person who was advertising several different flyers in Yokohama.

"Ok, this is where you will be working. I hope you don't mind cooking." She showed me into a crowded room of pot, pans, and cooking ingredients. It had a long stove with eight burners along the center of one wall in the room and several storage cabinets

"Sure, I don't mind cooking, but am I going to be the only one doing the cooking?" I asked. If I had to do _all_ the cooking, I wasn't going to last a day.

"Oh no, dear, of course not! Two other young ladies like you will be helping you. You will only have to work in the mornings and evenings and you will have Sundays and Mondays off. The faster you work, the more time you will have for yourself," she explained.

I was grateful that I would have days off and free time. Ayumu must have noticed my expression because she smiled.

"Well, it's gettin' late," she said as she glanced out the window. The sun was already setting and the sky was getting considerably dark. "You can start working tomorrow. I'll send someone to wake you up, okay?"

"Uh, sure. Thanks again," I answered. She smiled and started walking out the door.

"Come on, honey. I'll show you where you are sleeping," she called me over. I ran to catch up with her as she led me around the corner of the kitchens to the housing of the Shinsengumi.

We walked through rows of rooms before Ayumu finally stopped and turned down one of the middle rows. The paths were deserted save for a few swordsmen who were patrolling the grounds. They waved as we passed by.

Finally, we stopped at the sixth room. "Here's your room, Hikaru-chan. It's a bit bare, but this is all we have right now separate from the men," she apologized and opened the door. The room was indeed dark and empty. The only things inside were a pillow, blanket, and a paper lantern with simple flower patterns.

"It's all right. I don't mind," I reassured her and stepped inside. She followed me in, pulling out a match and lighting the lantern.

"It's a bit quiet, but much better than the men's rooms. If you need me, you know where to find me." She put out the match and walked towards the door.

"Good night, Hikaru-chan."

"Good night," I answered. She waved and walked outside, shutting the door on her way out. Yawning, I dragged myself over to a corner of my room where my blanket and pillow laid neatly folded. I took them up and settled myself down, covering myself in the warm cotton.

"I'd better get some sleep now, or I will be a total mess tomorrow."

I yawned again and turned over.

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(1) Bokken: wooden practice sword 

A/N: As you can probably see, I didn't change much…but enough to alter Hikaru's personality. I hope she doesn't seem like a total b---- now. And also, Hikaru's not from Okinawa. Well, I think that's pretty much it. Nothing else really to say.

-Serena


End file.
